Means for forming tees for golf-balls.



No. 6353244.v Patented sept. 24, |901. w. K. & w. J. BUDA.

MEANS FUR FORMING TEES FOR GULF BALLS. (Appnmion med mr. `11, 1901.)

(No Model.)

supports.

VUNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM K. BODA ANDl 'WILLIAM J'. BODA, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

MEANS FOR FORMING TEES FOR GOLF-BALLS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N o. 683,244, datedSeptember 24, 1901.

i Application filed March 1li, 1901. Serial No. 50,541. (No model.)

erence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention Vcomprises an implement or device for teeing golf balls.

ground for a drive shot. l-Ieretofore :it has been the custom for theplayers to form with the finge-rs these little elevations of sand calledsand tees, upon Which the ball isplaced, also other means yfor elevatingand= supporting the ball have been devised in the form of Celluloid,rubber, and paper The former of these-to Wit, the hand-made sand tee-isobjectionable, owing to the fact that a perfect tee can rarely be formedby the fingers. They are seldom of the same height and shape and do notalways provide a reliable or` steady support for the ball. Again, informing the sand tee With the fingers more or less moist sand isretained on the fingers,Which soils the hands and clothing of theplayer, and more or less sand is transferred to the grip of the club.The lastnamed forms of tee-to wit, the celluloid, rubber, and papersupports-are objectionable from the fact that when a good driver is notmade or when the ball is struck at a point above the center these formsof tee often act as an impediment to the proper movement of the ball anddeilect the ball from its proper course. In the case of the sand teethis lastnamed difficulty is notan objection, owing to the fact thatWhen such an impact is made Those fa- Imiliar with the technical termsof golf understand the word .tee to mean a pot or1 small elevation ofsand upon which the ball l is placed in a position to be struck. groundis the space marked out Within the limits of which the ball must beteed. The purpose of teeing a ball is to get it up off the by the ballthe sand readily crumbles. The sand tee is therefore the much preferredform of ball-support; but more or less objection is found With thehand-formed sand tee, due principally to the causes heretoforementioned.

Our invention provides means for automatically forming sand tees andmounting the ball thereon, and principally among the advantages thereofmay be mentioned the fact that the hands and clothing of the playercannot be soiled by the use of our means of forming the tees, as no partof the person comes in contact With the sand. The grip of the club I forthe same reason is always free from sand.

The tees formed by means of our invention are always uniform in heightand width. Therefore the player is enabled to make a true and perfectswing of the club. This point will be readily appreciated When it isborne in mind that in forming sand tees by the lingers the height andshape of the tees are seldom the same. The player is therefore compelledto constantly vary the swing of the club; and, further, it may be statedas another advantage of the present invention that the tees formedthereby oder a reliable and steady support for the ball, there being nodanger of the ball rolling off, as is often the case with hand-madetees, when the player is in the act of making a swing.

Preceding a detail description of our invention reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, of Which- Figure l is an elevation of ourimproved implement, showing the same ready to mold asand tee and mountthe ball thereon. Fig. 2is a bottom plan view of the implement. Fig. 3is a view showing the implement ready to be removed from the ball, thesand tee having been molded and the mold-jaws removed from the sidesthereof. Fig. et is an elevation of a finished sand teesupporting theball.

Similar referenceletters indicate corresponding parts.

The sand tee A is molded in a two-part cone-shaped mold B and B', whichseparate at the vertical center. The part B has two ears or guides b onopposite sides thereof. When the parts of the mold are brought togetherby the action of the spring C, the part B' is guided into properposition with the part ICO through the hub Gr and has a fixed connection with such hub, so that both the legs H and the hub have a fixedconnection with said rod. The lower end of the rod I is screwthreadedand receives an adjustable clamp J, which fits against the top of theball and holds said ball rigidly between it and the upper end of thetwo-part mold, as shownin Fig. 1. The jaws D and D have slots K and K intheir upper straight portions.

L designates a yoke, the ends L of which are slotted to receive theupper ends of the jaws D and D', and passed through said ends and theslots K and K are pins M and M', which form a sliding connection betweenthe jaws D and D and the yoke L. The hub portion L" of the yoke has axed connection with a tubular rod N, through which the rod I passes. Theupper ond of this tubular rod N has a finger-piece N. The rod I projectsbeyond the upper end of this tube and receives a knob I. Between thisknob and the finger-piece N the coil-spring O is placed, the expansionof which normally keeps the yoke L in its lower position. Such positionis that wherein the studs or pins M and M are in the lower portion ofthe slots K and K in the jaws, and said jaws are thus firmly heldtogether. shown in Fig. 1. When it is desired to open the mold-jaws Dand D to form the sand tee, as shown in Fig. 3, the thumb is placed uponthe knob I and the fingers are placed beneath the finger-piece N.Pressure of the lingers is then exerted upon said knobf I', which drawsthe tubular rod N upwardly to spread the mold-jaws Dland D'.

The operation of forming a sand tee and i simultaneously mounting theball thereon is asffollowsz; The golf-ball is placed between the moldand the clamp l. The clamp is adjustable on the rod I to suit thedifiierent sizes of balls. The hall being placed in such position, theclamp is then screwed tightly against it,V thereby holding said ball,which becomes part of the mold-that is to say, the ball projecting intothe top of the mold causes a c'oncavity to be formed in the top ofthe'tee, which forms a seat for the ball when the implement is removed.When the ball is thus clamped, the implement maybe handled or operatedby catching hold of the knob I. The lower end of the implement or theend containing the mold is pressed into the suitably-moistened sand orearth,care being taken to give thel necessary pressure and to turn theimplement two orthree times while the'lend is inserted in the sand, theobjectv This normal position of said parts is being to ll the mold withthe sand and to sufciently compress the sand therein. This operation ofmolding the sand tee requires but little effort. The form of the moldbeing of tapering or conical shape it readily admits of the sandentering said mold, and owing to this form ot' mold a Wider base isgiven the sand tee. The implement is then taken to the place where it isdesired to deposit the tee and pressure is exerted upwardly upon theIinger-piece N This causes the jaws D and D',with the molds, toseparate, as shown in Fig. 8, the molds separating from the sides of thetee. The ball is left in position on the tee and an upward removal ofthe implement Afrees said ball and leaves it supported on the tee, asshown in Fig. 4:. The legs H project a slight distance below the lowerend of the mold in order that the separation of the parts comprising themold may be effected without said parts coming in contact with theground. These legs also relieve the ball or" any of the weight of theimplement when the mold is removed from the tee. The implement, as shownin the drawings, is full size. The rods I and N, it will be understood,are of sucient length to enable the operator to manipulate the same in astanding position.

While we have minutely described the various mechanical features of ourinvention,we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to theprecise construction shown and described; but we desire to claim,broadly, mechanical means for automatically forming a sand tee andsupporting the ball thereon.

Having described our invention, we claim- 1. The combination with aball, of a mold adapted to form a support for such ball, meansforsupporting the hall on the mold i whereby said ball isA caused to forman inclosure for the top of the mold during. the l; formation of saidsupport, said support bei ing thereby provided with a concavi'ty in itsthe removal of the mold.

2.. In a device for th-e purposes-specified?, the combination with ahandle, of pivotal 4varms attached the-reto, a two-part mold se-V.'cured to said pivotal arms and adapted to form a sand tee,` the saidmold providing a lsupport for a ball during the formation of i the tee,and which ball is supported on said i tee after the removal of the mold.

3. In an implement for the purposes speci- `fied, the combination with ahandle, of pivotal arms attached thereto, a two-part mold yconnected tosaid arms and adapted to form a sand tee,said mold providing a supportfor the ball during the formation of said tee, and means for holding theball in such supported position and from which position the said vballis subsequently deposited onsaid tee by the removal of the mold.

4. In an implement for making sand tees, the combination with a handle,jaws manipulated by such handle, the lower end of such f, upper end inwhich the ball is supported after' IOS) essaie jaws being provided witha mold wherein a sand tee is formed,sueh mold providinga support for aball during the formation of said tee, and an adjustable clamp adaptedto hold the ball between itself and the mold in rigid contact with themold during such operation of forming the sand tee.

5. In a device for molding sand tees,the combination with a ball, of ahandle, jaws connected thereto and manipulated thereby, said jaws havinga parting mold at their lower ends which in conjunction with said ballis adapted to form a sand tee, means acting from above for rigidlysupporting said ball during the formation of a tee, and in a position tobe deposited upon such tee after the removal of the mold, by suchremoval, the ball being left in a supported position on the tee.

6. In a device for forming sand tees or golfball supports, thecombination of a handle or rod, jaws pivoted thereto, such jaws having amold at their lower ends adapted to forma sand tee, a tubular handleinclosing said rod, a connection between such tubular handle and saidjaws by means of which the latter are opened, a clamp secured to suchrod and whereby a bali is held in position during the formation of thesand tee and in a position to be subsequently deposited on said sand teeafter the latter has been formed, the said ball forming its seat in thetee during the formation of said tee.

7. In a device for forming sand tees or ballsupports, a handleconsisting of two independently-movable parts, spreading jaws operatedby one of said parts, the lower ends of said jaws being provided with amold, a connection between the other member of said handle and said jawswhereby such jaws are manipulated, and means for holding a ball `inrigid contact with the mold in a position to coperate with said mold inthe formation of a sand tee or ball-support.

8. An implement for forming sand tees and depositing a ball thereon,said implement comprising two spreading members, a tw0- part mold, meansfor opening and closing said spreading members to form a sand tee and todeliver said sand tee with a ball thereon, and means for holding suchball above the sand tee during the formation of such sand tee.

9. In a device for forming sand tees for golf balls, the combination ofacone-shaped mold, a spring-controlled telescopic handle there-` for,the said handle providing means for ma nipulating the mold in forming asand tee, and for subsequently delivering said sand tee from the mold,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we aiX our signad tures in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM K. BODA. WILLIAM J. BODA.

Witnesses:

R. J. MCCARTY, C. M. THEOBALD.

